Serinde's 2020 Stitching Adventures 7 December

[Serinde]

Meet Fergus. Not a handsome chap. Pretty shifty looking actually. A bit morning-after-the-night-before-ish. When I first met him in Nancy Spies' Here be Drolleries, I thought him rather cute. When I found him in his own home, I was slightly surprised by the company he kept in 1487. If you are of a timorous nature, don't click!! Although the bagpipe-playing pig is fun, the jester might be a bit much for a Sunday.

My Embroiderers' Guild branch is hosting Scottish Regional Day in April, and we are asking everyone to make a "mugshot" so we can put together a Mugshot Mosaic. Fergus, here, will fit the bill. My plan is to outline him and probably add bits as I go along. So I already suspect his hat brim is going to be made of a fuzzy purple thread. Turns out what I thought was a dog-hat is, in fact, more a dragon-hat. I have pretty much decided that he's going to have a grey beard and hair and something like a red nose... In the manuscript, he's actually looking over his shoulder whilst running away, clad only in his hat and one shoe. I leave you to interpret that as you will.

[Squirrel]

WOW that sounds like a lot of fun ahead as you get Fergus in the right environment. Looking forward to the next update.

[Mabel Figworthy]

Well, if nothing else Fergus is indeed a character (but I agree about the company he keeps - I'm glad I clicked on it on a Monday... )
Your thread and colour choices sound interesting, Serinde, I look forward to seeing him develop! When you mentiones Mugshots I rather thought they were meant to be self-portraits, but obviously not

[wendywombat]

He looks like a lively character! What fun!!

[Serinde]

When you mentiones Mugshots I rather thought they were meant to be self-portraits, but obviously not

You know, Mabel, that thought never, ever, crossed my mind! Oh, dear. Well, too late for all that now. Fergus it is.

I'm stitching him on a piece of parchment-coloured cotton -- the sort I'd normally use to back something else. I don't think I'll need another piece of muslin or something underneath, as I'm not using any heavy threads. Anyway, he'll be mounted on a 15x15cm (6in x 6) canvas frame from Ikea, so that'll be sturdy enough.

[rcperryls]

That is so clever and looks like fun to stitch! I can't wait to see your updates! Hope we get a fair amount to enjoy!

Carole

[Mabel Figworthy]

he'll be mounted on a 15x15cm (6in x 6) canvas frame from Ikea

I've seen that sort of finish but am never quite sure how it's done - how do you attach the stitching to the canvas, do you fold it round and staple/glue/otherwise attach it to the wooden frame, or stitch it to the canvas?

[Serinde]

You fold it around the edges, trying to make a neat mitred corner, and staple it. They will all be mounted onto something else (large), as was done last year for the Viking /Celtic things I did for the 2019 Regional Day. Hope we get lots in, too...

[Mabel Figworthy]

I may try that canvas finish for my two trees of life

[Serinde]

It's a possibility. You could always lace them onto the stretched canvas, too. I can't track down exactly the one I have, but any art store stocks them. Might have been Hobbycraft -- £3.

[Serinde]

Well, we are holding our breath wondering if there will be a Regional Day this year... so far, it hasn't been cancelled, but the end of April is a whole nuther ballgame. So poor Fergus is languishing. Not to mention that I suspect he'll need a bit of muslin or something. I never realised how thin this cotton was until I started a doodle cloth...! live and learn.

[Mabel Figworthy]

Fergus will have to grin and bear it like the rest of us, I'm afraid - there will be better times!

[Serinde]

And here I thought he was running away from his rolling-pin wielding wife... perhaps it was Covid-19? (He really should have put his trews on...)

[poppy]

I did click
A fun project ahead Looking forward to the update...

[Serinde]

I did warn you. Those medievals... weren't victorians, if you see what I mean.

Well, this morning I had a terrific idea: I'll go online to Higgs & Higgs to see if they have any of that lovely linen-look cotton which is delicious to stitch on -- and bought a fat quarter of white (but baulked at a metre of cream) along with a bit of red gingham (thought I might try some chicken scratch, since suddenly my diary is empty). Talk about service -- it's already being shipped, so I would expect it tomorrow or Saturday. Companies are pretty desperate for orders, I guess.

[Mabel Figworthy]

I love the H&H linen-look cotton, but they don't do my favourite Ivory anymore
Good service though!

[Serinde]

It was the ivory I was most interested in, but, as you say, not in stock now.

[poppy]

It sounds like Fergus will be created pretty soon... exciting.

[Serinde]

Well, we'll see.

I'm being tempted by an online course courtesy of Tanya Bentham of Opus Anglicanum. Actually she's proposing two courses, one of laid and couched work (angels) for beginners/intermediates and one of opus anglicanum for more experienced stitchers of an angel with dog and cat. It's an excellent way to fill up what's likely to be a long hiatus with my stitching and weaving groups, and I love her designs from original sources.

How to decide??

[Sojourner]

Some rather surprising content on that website...….